The Frederick Phineas & Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space is one of the most talked about additions to the NYC cultural scene in the last decade. Clad in almost an acre of glass, the Hayden Sphere can look like a strange visitor from outerspace, rather than a window into it. The Planetarium is unlike any other such facility in the world. In the top half of the Hayden Sphere, the most technologically advanced Space Theater in existence uses advanced visual technology (including a customized, one-of-a-kind Zeiss Star Projector) to create shows of unparalleled sophistication, realism, and excitement. With this high-definition system, the Hayden Planetarium is the largest and most powerful virtual reality simulator in the world.

The bottom half of the Hayden Sphere houses the "Big Bang," where visitors can experience a dramatic, multisensory re-creation of the first moments of the universe. From here, visitors continue on an awe-inspiring journey that chronicles the evolution of the universe by following the Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway — a sloping walkway that takes them through 13 billion years of cosmic evolution.